Lemon Basil Chicken is a delicious and easy to prepare chicken dinner. Easy to put together in the morning or night before to marinate then throw in the pan when you are ready to prepare dinner. The ingredients are all fresh and healthy, low calorie, high fiber, low on the glycemic index, high in protein and good fat. The lemon flavour is a nice change for chicken and the olives are a pleasant surprise in your mouth. I didn't think I'd like the green olives but they were delicious. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Would you change anything?
Inspired by Lindsay Cotter, Cotter Crunch
- Total Time: 90 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- Lemon Basil Sauce/Marinade
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic- 2 cloves
- 1/2 - 1 whole chopped onion, caramelized
- ½ cup olive oil.
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Crushed black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For the Pan:
- 1 ½ lbs skinless chicken thighs (see notes)
- 6-8 whole pitted green olives
- ¼ of onion, sliced
- Lemon slices to place on chicken
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare Lemon Basil Sauce/Marinade:
In blender or food processor, blend together basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, onion, garlic, olive oil, seasonings, and mustard. The marinade should be creamy and smooth.
For the Pan:
- Place cleaned/trimmed skinless chicken in large bowl or casserole dish.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs or chicken breast. Reserve a small amount of marinade for brushing chicken with marinade, once baked.
- Place chicken in fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. If using chicken breasts, marinade for at least 1 hour in fridge first.
Cooking Instructions
- After the chicken has marinated, preheat oven to 400° F.
- Place the marinated chicken and sliced onion in an oven safe skillet. Brown chicken and onion on medium high for 3 -5 minutes, flip chicken once while browning. Remove from heat.
- Add the olives around the chicken and lemon slices on top of each piece of chicken.
- Season with pepper.
- Bake/Roast for 25 -30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°, checking internal temperature at 20 minutes to see progress. If using thick chicken breast, may have to cook longer.
- Broil last 2-3 minutes to create a crispy outside on the chicken and lemon slices on top.
- Remove and let sit for 8-10 minutes before serving.
- Optional – Brush baked chicken with the reserved marinade
Boneless chicken thighs works well too.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounces
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 1g
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 2.5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
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